Paint roller



R. L. CARLEE PAINT ROLLER Filed Sept. 17, 1965 /3 ,1"9.1.

Aug. 22, 1967 United States Patent O 3,336,625 PAINT ROLLER Robert L. Carlee, R.F.D. 1, North Leeds, Maine 04263 Filed Sept. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 487,994 3 Claims. (Cl. 15-562) This invention relates to improvements in paint rollers for applying paint to walls and other surfaces.

The principal purpose of the invention is to provide a conveniently operated paint roller which will rapidly and uniformly apply a coat of paint to the desired surface, which is easy and economical to manufacture and which may be readily and thoroughly cleaned after use.

The specic advantages of the improved paint roller will become apparent from the following description of the recommended embodiment of the invention as illustrated on the accompanying drawings, but it will be understood that the structural details of the roller herein shown and described may be varied to suit particular conditions Without departing from the essence of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. l is a plan view of the improved paint roller;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;' and FIG. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

In the form chosen for the purpose of illustration, the roller comprises a cylinder 11 of metal or plastic material, having a plurality of closely spaced apertures 12 through its wall; and outer covering 13 of compressibly porous or permeable material, such as polyurethane foam; a series of axially spaced cups 14, made of rubber or other suitably flexible material, each having an outwardly flared mouth having a frictional seal against the inner surface of the cylinder 11; and a paint lling tube 15 disposed axially of the cylinder and passing through the bottoms of the respective cups 14 which have resilient flanges 16 frictionally embracing the tube 15, or cemented to it, if desired.

Said tube has a cap 17 closing its inner end (at the left of FIG. 2) and a stopper 18 closing its outer end, after the reservoirs formed by the cups 14 have been filled with paint poured, preferably through a funnel, into the unstoppered outer end Aof tube 15 which has a series of openings 19 through which the paint may ow into the respective cups.

The opposite ends of cylinder 11 are tted with closure caps 20 and 21, each of which is provided with an axially projecting studs 22 and 23, respectively, received in complemental openings of the arms 24 and 25 of a yoke 26 roller.

A ring or collar 28 ts within the end of the perforated cylinder 11, sealing any of the perforations at that end (the right of FIG. 2) which are also closed by the end provided with a handle 27 for operating the Pce cap 21, to prevent leakage of any excess paint within the cylinder.

In order tovll the paint roller, the end cap 21 is removed from the cylinder, the stopper 18 is removed from the tube 15, and paint is poured into the tube when it ows hrough the openings 19 into the respective cups or reservoirs 14. When so filled, the stopper 18 and cap 21 are replaced and the roller is ready for use when the yoke 26 is snapped onto the studs 22 and 23.

In useful application, paint will flow from the respective reservoirs onto the inner surface of the perforated cylinder which acts as a screen in uniformly distributing the paint through the perforations 12 into the permeable foam cover 13 through which the paint will flow uniformly under pressure of the roller on the surface to be painted.

After use, the improved roller may be quickly and easily cleaned by removing cap 21, manually withdrawing tube 15 and its associated cups 14 from the cylinder 11, and washing the separated parts which may be reassembled with ease.

I claim: l

1. A paint roller comprising a perforated hollow cylinder having an outer covering of porous material and caps on the ends thereof, a series of axially spaced cups disposed within the cylinder, the cups having rims bearing on the inner surface of the cylinder and providing reservoirs for paint, and an axial tube passing through the bottoms of the cups and having openings in the Wall thereof communicating with each cup, one end of said tube having a closure thereon and the opposite end having a removable stopper therein, and handle means removably connected to the end caps of the cylinder for manipulating the roller.

2. A paint roller as described in claim 1, the rims of said respective cups daring outwardly in frictional contact with the inner surface of said cylinder, and the bottoms of said respective cups having anges surrounding said tube and holding the cups in spaced relation on said tube.

3. A paint roller as described in claim 2, said cylinder having a plurality of relatively small, closely spaced apertures therethrough, whereby paint flowed through said tube and into said reservoirs will ilow outwardly through said apertures and through said porous covering, when the roller is pressed upon a surface to be painted.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 435,606 9/1890 Ienking 15-562 447,559 3/1891 Crawford 29-121 957,501 5/1910 Du Brau 101-331 ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PAINT ROLLER COMPRISING A PERFORATED HOLLOW CYLINDER HAVING AN OUTER COVERING OF POROUS MATERIAL AND CAPS ON THE ENDS THEREOF, A SERIES OF AXIALLY SPACED CUPS DISPOSED WITHIN THE CYLINDER, THE CUPS HAVING RIMS BEARING ON THE INNER SURFACE OF THE CYLINDER AND PROVIDING RESERVOIRS FOR PAINT, AND AN AXIAL TUBE PASSING THROUGH THE BOTTOMS OF THE CUPS AND HAVING OPENINGS IN THE WALL THEREOF COMMUNICATING WITH EACH CUP, ONE END OF SAID TUBE HAVING A CLOSURE THEREON AND THE OPPOSITE END HAV- 